Qualifying news and notes

Local favorite Shawn Martin of Turner won the pole for tonight's TD Banknorth 250, after the golden gift of the pole in heat race No. 1 was squandered by Gray driver Travis Stearns.

Stearns littered the track with fluid as he pulled out of the pits and had to go in a couple of times for repairs, thus forfeiting the top spot.

CUP DRIVERS KEVIN Lepage and Terry Labonte had their share of trouble in qualifying. Lepage and Robbie Crouch got together under the flagstand in their heat, and Lepage didn't come out for the consi round (Crouch did). Kind of reminded folks of the old American-Canadian Tour days.

Labonte moved up to finish 4 after accidents eliminated some of the competition from his heat race. Car looked a lot better as the race went on.

THE ROWES WERE announced to be on their way and at OPS by 6:15 p.m., but no one was sure if either would have a car to drive when they got here. Jeff Taylor, driving Ben Rowe's car, was DQ'ed from his 3rd-place finish in the consi after dumping Ricky Morse out of turn 4 on the final lap for the transfer spot. Patrick Laperle, in Mike Rowe's No. 24, spun while running up front in his consi.

BEST QUALIFYING STORY belongs to young Josh St. Clair, a Wiscasset Raceway regular who made the field in his 1st try. It comes only one day after seeing OPS for the first time in his life, and after his grandfather -- Dave "Boss Hog" St. Clair made the race only once in 15 tries in his career.

St. Clair will start 13th tonight.

NOTABLES NOT IN the race after two rounds included Terry Labonte, Jamie Aube, Jeff Taylor, Travis Adams, Brian Hoar, Mario Gosselin, Doug Coombs and Kevin Lepage.